Vacuum-tube device



H. D. ARNOLD. VACUUM TUBE DEVICE.

APPLlCATlON FILED SEPT. 30, 1918.

Patend Oct. 5, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD D. ARNOLD, OF HAPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELEC.- TRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 0F NEW YORK, N, Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

'VACUUM-TUBE DEVICE.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

trolled by an auxiliary electrode, which usually takes the form of a grid.

It is lmown that the operation of such a device, which may be employed as a repeater, amplifier or detector, for instance, depends upon the space relation between the various electrodes.

An Obj ect of the present invention is to insure a more uniform Operation by providing a supporting means which maintains the` electrodes in their proper positions.

This invention comprehends the use of a support which may be of insulating material, such as glass in the form of an arbor, which is preferably located outside of the space bounded by the electrodes in Order to interfere to the least possible extent with the passage and control of space current from the cathode to the anode. Supporting .connections are provided between the support or arbor and the various electrodes. This supporting arrangement accomplishes the desired results, and if the support is of insulating material, the necessary high insulation between the electrodes is secured.

For further details of the arrangement reference may be made to the drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a type-Of support which may be employedv for one type of vacuum tube wherein the grid has a tine mesh, the anode being at a relatively great distance from the filament; Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating diagrammatically the relative positions of the electrodes shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 illustrates the invention applied to a different type of devicewherem the plate electrode is in close proximity to the other electrodes, the grid having a relatively coarse mesh; Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating the spacing of the electrodes in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 shows conventionally a circuit arrangement which may be used in Fi 1 or Fig. 3.

eferring in detail to Fig. 1, the vacuum l tube 1 contains a ilamentary cathode 2, an anode 3 in the shape of a plate, and a grid 4 between the filament and plate and having a relatively fine mesh. Electrical connect1ons to these electrodes may be made by means of the leads 5, 6, 7 and 8, extensions of which or lead wires are sealed into the tube in the press 9 which, as usual, forms the top of the neck 10. A glass arbor 11 arises from the column 9-10 and serves as a support to maintain the grid properly spaced from the filament. Extending from the top of the arbor 11 is a wire 12 which is sealed into the arbor at one end and which at its other end forms a support for the apex of the V-shaped filament. The other ends of the filament are connected to lead wires 13 and 14 which have suiicient rigidity to maintain the lower ends of the Aiilarnent properly positioned.

Laterally extending from the arbor 11 are the supporting connections or wire arms 15, 16 which are sealed into the arbor and which at their outer ends are suitably fastened, for instance welded, to the grid. The lower end of the grid is likewise connected to a rela tively stiff lead wire 17 which aids in maintaining the lower end of the grid properly positioned.

The plate electrode 3 may be supported in any suitable manner, but as shown in Fig. 1, a supporting connection is provided by a relatively still wire 18 which is an extension ofthe lead wire 5.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the supporting connections are substantiallyT the same, the plate electrode 3 in this case being suiciently close to the other two electrodes that a straight lead wire 19 may be used.

In both of the above cases it will be ap,

parent that the electrodes will be supported and maintained in their proper relative positions, and the supporting means does not `interfere with the flow or control of `this space current, since it is located outside the tive space relations, and is not limited to use with `electrodes having the particular characteristics illustrated.

Since the arbor 11 is substantiallycoextensive in length with the filament, it is apj parent that a much longer filament 1s made possible than would be the case 1f the supporting connection 12 extended laterally from the arbor, as does the supporting arm l15, for instance, rather than extending upwardly from the end of the arbor as in the present case.

Referring to Fig. 5, a vacuum tube device such as described above is illustrated for operation as an amplifier. The tube is connected to the incoming line 2() by means of the transformer 21 and to the outgoing line 22 by means of the transformer 23. The grid 4 is maintained at a suitable potential preferably negative with respect to the filament 2 by the battery 24. Space current for the tube is supplied from the battery 25, in series with which is a choke coil 26 which prevents alternating currents in the output circuit of the tube from being short-circuited through battery 25. Condenser 27 may be employed to prevent currents from battery 25 from being supplied through primary Winding of transformer 23.

While the invention has been shown as applied to a vacuum tube device having three electrodes, this arrangement may also be employed in connection with devices having more than three electrodes, or with devices having only two electrodes, for instance, a

ycathode and!" an anode, as is the case with a two-electrode rectifier.

This application is a continuation in part of applicants copending application Serial No. 247,422, filed July 30, 1918, patented Jan. 27, 1920, No. 1,329,283, which is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 841,567, filed May 28, 1914, audions.

What is claimed is:

l. A vacuum tube device comprising a press, a support comprising said press and a single glass arbor arising thereabove, cathode and plate electrodes, and supporting connections from said support to said electrodes, said support being remote from the direct line of action between said electrodes.

2. A vacuum tube device comprising a plurality of electrodes, one of which is an elec-v trode adapted to serve as a source ot space current, an arbor within said tube, a supporting connection' from said arbor to said electrode which is adapted to serve as a source of space current, said arbor being located remote from the direct line of action between said electrodes.

3. A vacuum tube device comprising a ilamentary cathode, an anode and a control electrode, a column Within said tube, a glass arbor anchored to said column, said arbor, column and supporting connections thereto comprising the only means for supporting said electrodes.

4. A vacuum tube device comprising a a filamentary cathode, an anode and a control electrode, a column within said tube, a glass arbor anchored to said column, said arbor being located remote from the direct line of action between said electrodes, said arbor, column and supporting col'inections thereto comprising substantially the only means for supporting said electrodes.

5. A vacuum tube device comprising a filamentary cathode, and an anode, a press, lead wires in said press for said electrodes, a single arbor substantially coextensive in length with said cathode, and a supporting connection between said cathode and said arbor.

G. A vacuum tube device comprising a ilamentary cathode, an anode, a control electrode, a press, lead Wires in said press for said electrodes, an arbor located outside. of the active space between said electrodes, a supporting connection from the top of said arbor to said cathode, and other supporting connections from said arbor to said control electrode.

7. A vacuum tube device comprising a cathode, an anode, a control electrode, a

press, lead wires in said press for said electrodes, a glass arbor laterally disposed Jfrom said electrodes, and supporting connections from a plurality of said electrodes to said arbor.

8. A vacuum tube device comprising a single rod of insulating material, a cathode supported thereby, an auxiliary electrode and a supporting connection from said rod to said auxiliary electrode, said rod being positioned on that side of said cathode which is remote from said auxiliary electrode.

9. A vacuum tube device comprising a single rod of insulating material, a V shaped ilamentary cathode, a supporting connection from the end of said rod to the apex of said V, and a supporting connection from said rod to an auxiliary electrode.

l0. A vacuum tube device comprising a ilamentary cathode, an anode, a press, lead wires in said press for said electrodes, an arbor located outside ot' the active space between said electrodes, and a supporting connection from the top of said arbor to said cathode.

l1. A vacuum tube device comprising a cathode, an anode, a press, lead wires in said press for said electrodes, a glass arbor laterally disposed from said electrodes, and a supporting connection from said cathode to said arbor.

12. A vacuum tube device comprising a cathode, an anode, a column within said tube, an arbor anchored to said column, said arbor being located transverse to and outside of the direct line of action between said electrodes, said arbor, column and supporting connections thereto comprising substantiallyT the only means for supporting said electrodes.

13. A vacuum tube device comprising a cathode, an anode and a control electrode, a column within said tube, an arbor anchored to said column, said arbor' being located transverse to and outside of the direct line of action between said electrodes, said arbor, column and supporting connections thereto comprising substantially the only means for supporting said electrodes.

14. A vacuum tube device comprising a ilamentary cathode, a single rod Substantially parallel to an axial plane of said cathode, an auxiliary electrode in effective parallelism with said cathode and supporting connections from said rod to said cathode and said auxiliary electrode.

15. A vacuum tube device comprising a filamentary cathode, a single rod substantially parallel to an axial plane of said cathode, an auxiliary electrode in effective parallelism with said cathode and supporting connections from said rod to said cathode and said auxiliary electrode, said rod being located outside ofthe direct line of action between said electrodes.

16. A vacuum tube device comprising an anode, a cathode, and an auxiliary electrode, an arbor secured within said tube, a supporting connection from said arbor to said cathode, said arbor being located remote from the direct line of action between a. plurality of said electrodes.

17. A vacuum tube device comprising a filamentary cathode, an anode, and a control electrode, a column within said tube, a single rod anchored to said column, and supporting connections between said electrodes and said column and rod, said rod, column and supporting connections comprising the only means for supporting said electrodes.

18. A vacuum tube device comprising a filamentary cathode, an anode, and a control electrode, a column within said tube, a single rod anchored to said column, and supporting connections between said electrodes and said column and rod, said rod, column and supporting connections comprising the only means for supporting said electrodes, said rod being located outside ot' the direct line of action between a plurality of said electrodes.

19. A vacuum tube device comprising a cathode, an anode and a control electrode, a column within said tube, lead wires in said column for said electrodes, an arbor located outside of the active space between said cathode and one of said other electrodes and HAROLD D. ARNOLD. 

